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ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY: 

THE  GRAND  METHOD 

OF  MAKING  "''  • 

A  BAD  MEMORY  GOOD, 

AND 

A  GOOD  MEMOEY  BETTER. 


By    WM.    NEMOS, 

PROttiSSOK  OF  AKTIFICIAI,  MEMOKY. 


bAN  FRANCISCO  . 

Published  for  thm:  Author  by 

A.    L.    BANCROFT    &    CQMIP^^N'Y. 

■i«73. 


FRICE,    ONE    I30LL^R. 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY: 


THE  GRAND  METHOD 


OF  MA.KING 


A  BAD  MEMORY  GOOD, 


A  GOOD  MEMOEY  BETTEE. 


^rr^t^" 


B  y  'W  M . '  l<r  E  M  O' S'V 

PROFESSOR  OF  ARTIFICiIl  MKMORV. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  : 
Published  for  the  Author  by 

1873. 

I»R,ICE:,    one    DOLLA.R* 


Entered  a^'cording  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  187cJ, 

„..      ,  By  W,M^.  ^'EMOS,. 

In  the  offi.-;-  uf.tlie  Ln>Wia?\  V'j^^ngvess,  at  Washington. 


Q<j^h   .^  GUs^  oi/^^7 


PEEFACE. 


The  object  of  this  little  book  is  to  make  a  bad 
memory  good,  and  a  good  memory  better,  by 
teaching  a  system  which  will  enable  any  one  to 
use  the  natural  memory  to  wonderful  advantage, 
as  well  as  to  perform  the  extraordinary  feats  of 
memor}'  with  which  Mnemonists  astonish  the 
world. 

The  system  is  based  upon  sound  philo- 
sophical principles,  and  is  so  simple,  that  the 
youthful  schoolboy  can  master  it  with  the  same 
ease  as  the  accomplished  scholar.  It  will  be 
found  of  immense  service  to  everybody,  be  it 
tlie  business  man,  the  farmer,  the  student  or  the 
lady.  In  short,  it  is  useful  to  anf/hody  in  re- 
m embering  anything. 

It  has  been  tested  in  public  and  in  private, 
and  the  author  is  satisfied,  in  common  with  his 
pupils,  that  it  is  superior  in  simplicity  and  com- 
pleteness to  other  systems,  possessing  all  their 
advantages  with  fewer  defects.     Bv  its  means, 

930831 


IV  PREFACE. 

the  weakest  memory  is  enabled  to  accomplish 
what  would  be  beyond  the  power  of  the  strong- 
est memory,  unassisted. 

Scholastic  authorities  recommend  it  as  strength- 
ening to  the  intellect  generally;  while  it  dimin- 
ishes the  probability  of  over-taxing  the  faculties, 
removes  anxiety,  and,  by  greatly  saving  time, 
gives  opportunity  for  further  studies,  or  for  en- 
joyments. 

The  first  part  of  the  book  contains  a  select 
compilation  from  standard  works  on  memory, 
showing  how  to  improve  this  faculty  in  the 
ordinary  manner,  how  to  study,  etc.,  besides 
giving  an  interesting  account  of  the  nature  of 
memory,  and  of  its  relation  to  the  other  qualities 
of  the  mind. 

The  object  of  education  is  two-fold — to  store 
the  mind,  and  to  train  it.  Artificial  Memory 
aids  both.  No  one  can  question  its  power  of 
storing  the  mind  with  facts,  who  has  witnessed 
the  feats  of  memory  achieved  by  mere  boys 
after  a  short  instruction.  No  one,  who  has 
himself  acquired  the  art,  can  doubt  its  power  to 
train  the  mind,  to  educate  it,  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  term.  It  substitutes  thought  and  imagin- 
ation for  mere  mechanical  and  hurtful  repetition ; 
it  transforms  a  painful  task  into  a  positive 
pleasure. 


PREFACE,  V 

Some  of  the  feats  placed  within  the  reach  of 
everybody  who  uses  this  system  are  :  To  remem- 
ber hundreds  of  words,  facts  and  figures,  after 
hearing  or  reading  them  over  once,  so  as  to  re- 
tain, with  astonishing  accuracy,  the  details  of  a 
lecture,  conversation,  book,  newspaper,  etc.  To 
commit  to  memory,  with  ease,  long  and  difficult 
tasks,  such  as  statistics,  populations,  heights  of 
mountains,  astronomical  magnitudes,  loga- 
rithms, etc. — history,  geography — a  boy  may 
learn  more  geography  in  one  hour  by  this  means, 
than  he  would  learn  by  months  of  ordinary 
study.  To  recollect,  with  certainty,  whenever 
desired,  any  number  of  ideas,  engagements,  er- 
rands, etc.,  that  may  occur  to  the  mind  at  any 
moment. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/artificialmemoryOOnemorich 


COjSTTEXTS. 


Page. 

Preface __       3 

Mind  and  Memory. — Forgetf illness;  Percep- 
tion; Imagination;  Invention;  Judgment; 
Tact;  Disposition;  Love;  Pleasure;  Grati- 
tude; Hope;  Charity;  Humility;  Pru- 
dence; Honor;  Conscience;  Oro-anization.       9 


^O' 


How  TO  Improve  the  Memory.  —Committing  to 
Memor}";  How  and  wlien  to  Study;  Anti- 
dotes for  Weariness,  Headache,  Thirst; 
Carelessness;  Attention;    Mental    Pictur- 


18 


Artificial  Memory. — Introductory;  Anti-Mne- 
monists;  Persevering  Student;  Memoiy 
Aids;  Advantages „ 29 

CHAPTER  I. 

Association;  Picturing;  How^  to  remember  a 
short  list  of  words;  How  to  connect  with 
Poetry;  Examples „_     34 


Vill  CONTENTS. 

t>Ar,E. 

CHAPTER  II. 

Mnemonic  Alphabet;  How  to  remember  Fig- 
ures; Memory   Table;    Examples .-     39 

CHAPTER   III. 

How  to  remember  any  number  of  Words  after 

hearing  or  reading  them  over  once 48 

CHAPTER  IV. 

How  to  remember  any  number  of  Figures  after 

hearing  or  reading  them  over  once 54 

CHAPTER  V. 
How  to  retain  Dates ;  History  - <. 58 

CHAPTER  VI. 

How  to  find  the  Day  of  the  Week  on  which 
any  Day  of  the  Month  falls,  for  any  Year, 
past  or  future;  How  to  remember  Bible 
Texts,  Latitudes  and  Longitudes,  Statis- 
tics, Astronomical  Magnitudes,  Loga- 
rithms, Chemistry 03 

CHAPTER   VII. 

How  to  master  Geography,  Grammar,  Names, 
How  to  recollect  Errands,  Engagements; 
How  to  learn  Poetry,  Prose;  How  to 
remember  Lectures,  Sermons,  Conversa- 
tions; How  to  Lecture  without  Notes 09 


MIND  AND  MEMORY. 


It  does  not  pay  to  have  a  bad  memory.  To 
be  ten  times  as  long  as  need  be  in  mastering  a 
given  subject,  is  bad  enough,  but  it  is  still 
worse  to  have  to  suffer  from  daily,  almost  inces- 
sant forgetfulness,  the  omission  of  little  things, 
as  they  are  called,  which  often  result  in  great 
vexations,  disappointments,  and  disasters.  Fre- 
quent forgetfulness  renders  many  people  abso- 
lutely miserable.  Half  theii  thoughts  are  re- 
grets that  they  did  not  say  something,  or  do 
something  at  the  right  time.  But  it  too  often 
happens  that  no  regrets,  however  bitter,  and  no 
efforts,  however  energetic,  can  afford  another 
opportunity  for  securing  the  same  results  which 
might  have  been  obtained  with  ease,  had  mem- 
ory done  her  duty.  One  case  of  forgetfulness 
may  cost  a  fortune,  may  nullify  the  unceasing 
efforts   of  years,  may  blight  prospects  for  life.- 

We  must  banish  this,  the  greatest  enemy  of 
the  mind,  by  using  the  means  before  us  of  im- 
proving our  memory;  thereby  securing  not  only 
self-reliance  and  exemption  from  harassing 
2 


,  L 0  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

anxiety,  but,  what  is  of  higher  importance,  in- 
creased vigor  for  every  faculty  of  the  mind. 

Everybody  admits  that  it  is  a  great  advantage 
to  have  a  good  memory;  but  few  have  a  clear 
idea  of  what  memory  really  is,  and  of  the  im- 
portant role  it  plays  in  every  act  of  the  intellect. 
Analysis  of  the  mind  will  show  that  it  is  almost 
all  memory.  Memory  is  generally  said  to  be 
"the  retention  of  things  perceived,"  conse- 
quently perception  is  supposed  to  be  of  primary 
importance — the  cause,  of  which  memory  is  but 
the  effect. 

But  we  shall  soon  see  that  readiness  and  ac- 
curacy of  perception  depends  upon  memory. 
For  instance,  no  sensible  man  would  invite  a 
draper  to  select  diamonds  for  him,  nor  a  jeweler 
to  choose  cloth,  when  he  could  obtain  the  jew- 
eler's advice  upon  the  diamonds,  and  the  draper's 
aid  in  buying  cloth,  and  why?  Because  every- 
body knows  that,  although  the  draper  might 
look  at  the  diamonds,  he  would  not  be  able  to 
perceive  their  merits  or  defects,  and  so  with 
the  jeweler  in  regard  to  cloth.  The  question 
now  arises,  why  two  men,  with  equally  good 
eyes,  should  not  see  equally  well  ?  Because  the 
jeweler,  having  in  his  memory  a  great  many 
facts  and  circumstances  connected  with  dia- 
monds,- might  discover  many  beauties  and  de- 


NATUEAL   MEMORY.  11 

fects  in  them,  tliat  would  escape  the  notice  of 
the  draper.  The  draper,  again,  with  his  larger 
remembrance  of  the  qualities  of  cloth,  would 
be  more  competent  in  his  own  particular  branch. 
This  difference  in  the  memory  of  the  two  men, 
is  the  cause  of  the  difference  in  their  capability 
of  perception.  Readiness  and  power  of  percep- 
tion, then,  are  determined  by  memory;  and,  it 
must  further  be  borne  in  mind,  that  that  which 
is  perceived,  is  valueless,  unless  it  is  retained 
by  the  memory.  Perception  not  only  depends 
upon  memory,  but  that  which  is  often  called 
perception,  is  in  reality  but  memory.  If  you 
say,  "I  perceive  the  cars  coming;  they  have 
just  crossed  the  bridge,"  it  is  equal  to  saying: 
''  1  know,  by  means  of  my  memory,  that  the  cars 
were  at  the  bridge,  but  now  they  are  nearer  to 
me." 

Careful  reflection  upon  this  subject  will  show 
that  the  minutest  mental  acts  are,  for  the  most 
part,  memory.  Many  words  arouse  in  the  mind 
the  influence  of  complex  memory,  although  they 
are  generally  supposed  to  produce  simple  per- 
ception. Thus,  the  word  "  windmill  "  first  sug- 
gests to  the  memory  the  idea  tvind,  which,  as 
we  cannot  see  it,  makes  us  think  of  something 
which  we  can  see,  associated  in  our  memory 
with  loind,    and  then  we   think   of  mill — some 


12  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

mill  already  in  our  memory  gives  its  tlie  idea. 
And  mark,  while  pronouncing  the  second  sylla- 
ble of  the  word  "windmill,"  we  must  have  in 
memory  the  fact  that  the  word  wind  preceded 
it;  otherwise  we  might  think  of  a  tualermiU,  or 
any  other  mill. 

Conception,  imagination  and  invention,  and 
all  the  creative  powers  of  the  mind,  have  their 
origin  in  memory.  People  have  the  idea  that 
these  faculties  are  self-creative,  self-developing 
and  independent  of  others;  but  every  new  idea 
springs,  directly  or  indirectly,  from  an  old  one, 
although  it  is  common  for  the  ordinary  thinker 
to  be  unaware  of  the  origin  of  thought  upon 
many  subjects.  Many  seem  to  regard  it  as  a 
fanciful  theory,  that  for  every  mental  effect  there 
is  a  cause;  but  it  is  so,  although  the  cause  may 
not  be  apparent  at  all  times.  We  are  indebted 
to  the  genius  of  Milton  for  "Paradise  Lost;" 
but  the  genius  of  Milton  consisted  of  a  vivid 
remembrance  of  Bible  records,  of  expressive 
words,  and  of  metre.  Had  he  forgotten  either, 
his  genius  would  have  been  marred.  Shaks- 
peare,  "the  immortal  bard,"  gave  us  some  of 
the  finest  specimens  of  imagination  that  have 
ever  charmed  the  world;  but  his  genius  con- 
sisted in  an  accurate  remembrance  of  historical 
facts,  of  feelings  and  sensations  of  the  human 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  13 

heart,  and  of  tlie  laws  of  rhetoric.  Had  he  for- 
gotten the  characteristics  of  the  individuals  of 
whom  he  wrote;  had  he  forgotten  the  objects 
and  circumstances  by  which  they  were  sur- 
rounded; or  had  he  forgotten  the  plots  which 
his  brain  had  interwoven,  the  soul-inspiring 
name  of  Shakspeare  would  be  a  name  unknown. 
We  are  indebted  to  Morse  for  the  telegraph; 
but  the  genius  of  Morse  consisted  in  the  remem- 
brance of  a  variety  of  objects,  facts,  principles 
and  requirements,  prompted  by  which  remem- 
brances, he  tried  experiments,  which  he  remem- 
bered, until,  by  the  perfection  of  the  associa- 
tion of  remembrances,  the  telegraph  appeared 
to  an  admiring  world. 

Judgment  —  lofty,  reverenced  judgment — is 
humiliatingly  dependent  upon  memory.  Mem- 
ory may  exist  without  judgment,  but  judg- 
ment cannot  exist  without  memor}^  The 
judge  reviews  the  forensic  knowledge  gained 
from  books  and  experience,  which  .  has  been 
stored  in  memory  during  years  of  labor,  and  is 
enabled  to  render  his  verdict.  ; 

Shrewdness,  or  tact,  depends  mainly  upon 
memory.  The  sharp  business  man  is  he  who 
remembers  men  and  manners. 

Arithmetical  calculation  is  the  remembrance 
of  certain  numerical  facts,  rules  and  results. 


14  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

Disposition  depends  greatly  upon  memory. 
If  a  youth  is  clever,  but  unreliable;  if  a  man  is 
talented  but  vicious,  it  is  because  certain  moral 
remembrances  are  faint,  or  overshadowed  by 
others.  The  memory  of  the  heart,  of  the  soul, 
requires  exercise  and  development. 

Love,  delight,  pleasure,  arise  from  the  remem- 
brance of  that  which  is"  in  harmony  with  our 
condition. 

Gratitude,  appreciation,  are  the  remembrances 
of  benefits  and  advantages  received. 

Hope  is  the  desire  of  the  fulfillment  of  a  re- 
membered imagination.  Thus,  suppose  an 
invalid  seeks  change  of  air  in  the  hope  of 
thereby  becoming  convalescent;  he  imagines 
that  it  may  bring  about  his  recovery,  as  it  has 
reestablished  the  health  of  others,  and  all  this 
he  remembers  and  desires. 

Charity  arises  from  the  remembrance  of  facts 
and  thoughts  which  awaken  our  sympathy. 
Want  of  charity  is  commonly  called  "forgetting 
to  make  allowances"  for  circumstances,  or  for 
the  frailty  of  humanity. 

Humility  is  the  remembrance  of  our  faults 
and  weakness,  our  dependent  condition,  and 
our  imperfections. 

Prudence  is  the  ofispriug  of  memory.  The 
remembrance  of  past  circumstances  of  a  pain- 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  15 

ful  nature  makes  us  auxious  to  avoid  their  recur- 
rence. ''A  burnt  child  dreads  the  fire,"  that  is, 
he  remembers  that  there  is   or  may  be  danger. 

Honor  is  based  upon  the  remembrance  of 
duty.  Many  dishonorable  acts  result  through 
forgetfulness,  which  may  be  bitterly  regretted. 

Conscience  is  but  memory.  It  is  the  remem- 
brance of  what  is  supposed  to  be  right.  I  say, 
"of  what  is  supposed  to  be  right;"  because  it 
is  quite  possible  for  us  to  be  conscientious,  and 
yet  absolutely  wrong  and  wicked.  Conscience 
does  not  trouble  the  cannibal  while  feasting  on 
his  fellow-creature's  remains,  because  no  impres- 
sion of  the  sinfulness  of  the  act  has  been  made 
upon  his  memory;  and  even  if  he  should  ex- 
perience some  gentle  reminder,  it  would  only 
be  the  result  of  his  recollections,  from  own 
minor  experience,  that  the  sufferings  of  his  vic- 
tim were  painful,  as  they  would  be  to  himself 
in  case  of  a  reprisal.  Conscience  is  the  battle- 
field selected  by  inclination  and  duty,  on  which 
to  settle  their  strife.  Where  no  duty  is  laid 
down  by  law,  inclination  follows  her  own  dic- 
tates. 

We  might  thus  proceed  with  every  mental 
manifestation,  but  the  illustrations  given  are 
sufficient  to  show  that  memory,  instead  of  being 
a  comparatively  mean  quality  of  the  mind — one 


16  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

wliicli  may  be  slighted — is  the  hasis  of  intelli- 
gence; the  faculty  npon  which  the  other  opera- 
tions of  the  mind  wholly  rest  and  depend.  That 
it  is  not  only  the  basis  of  the  intellectual  edi- 
fice, but  the  chief  material  of  its  body,  and  of 
its  summit,  without  which  the  other  faculties 
could  not  exist,  and  with  which  they  are  so  in- 
separably connected,  that  whatever  tends  to  dim 
the  memory,  must  tend  to  diminish  their  lustre 
also.  It  follows,  then,  that  the  development, 
culture  and  preservation  of  the  memory  are 
matters  of  the  very  first  importance. 

As  the  brain  is  the  recognized  organ  of  the 
mind,  and  as  its  size,  quality  and  activity  are 
supposed  to  determine  our  mental  power,  it  is 
thought  that  those  only  can  have  a  good  mem- 
ory who  have  a  certain  kind  of  brain.  That 
organization  is  necessary  for  the  manifestation 
of  mind  and  memory,  is  unquestionable;  but  to 
suppose  that  memory  is  wholly  dependent  upon 
it,  is  a  grave  error ;  one  that  may  often  prevent 
the  proper  effort  to  obtain  improvement.  What- 
ever physical  cause  tends  to  strengthen  the 
brain,  must  certainly  be  advantageous  to  the 
mind  and  memory,  and  whatever  is  detrimental 
to  the  brain,  is  injurious  to  the  mind  and  memory 
also.  To  obey  the  physical  laws  of  our  being 
is  thus  of  primary  importance,  if  we  would  have 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  17 

memory  in  perfection.  But  organization  and 
health  alone  will  not  determine  our  powers  of 
memory;  there  are  two  other  essentials — exercise 
and  system — and  whoever  possesses  sufficient  en- 
dowment of  brain  for  the  manifestation  of  or- 
dinary intelligence,  has  enough  brain  to  ensure, 
by  these  means,  what  is  termed  a  very  good 
memory.  Inactivity  destroys  the  memory;  but 
though  much  may  sometimes  be  accomplished 
in  the  way  of  remembrance  by  working /? arc?,  still 
more  can  be  done  by  working  ivell,  and  this 
brings  us  to  system. 


18  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

HOW  TO  IMPEOVE  THE  MEMOKY. 

OBSERVE,  REFLECT,  LINK  THOUGHT  WITH  THOUGHT, 
AND  THINK  OF  THE  IMPRESSION. 

This  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  comprehen- 
sive rules  ever  given  for  the  improvement  of  the 
memory.  The  following  hint's  will  illustrate 
some  of  its  diversified  applications: 

COMMITTING  TO  MEMORY. 

When  you  wish  to  learn  a  piece  of  prose  or 
verse,  try  to  grasp  its  general  meaning  first,  and 
then  particularize,  that  is,  observe  what  words 
are  used,  and  how  they  are  placed. 

Learn  one  sentence  thoroughly  by  reflection, 
before  you  attempt  to  master  another,  and  link 
them  together  by  noticing  how  they  follow. 
When  3  ou  think  3'ou  have  succeeded  in  getting 
a  sentence  to  run  upon  your  tongue  correctly, 
think  of  the  impression;  remove  your  eyes  from 
the  paper,  and  articulate  the  words  aloud  or 
mentally.  Immediately  afterwards  cover  the 
sentences  with  your  hand,  and  again  repeat, 
allowing  yourself  to  look  for  each  word  just  after 
you  have  uttered  it.  You  will  then  detect  any 
error  of  omission,  substitution  or  transposition. 
Many  people  recommend  writing  out,  a  great 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  19 

many  times,   that  which  you  would  learn;  but 
this  is  not  so  good  as  the  plan  just  suggested. 

If  you  have  learned  anything  by  ear,  and  are 
fearful  of  forgetting  it,  w^ite  it  out  once  clearly, 
and  afterwards  look  at  it  carefully;  this  will 
give  3^ou  the  assistance  of  visual  remembrance. 

If  you  should  refer  to  your  dictionary  for  the 
spelling  of  a  word,  write  it  once  or  twice  cor- 
rectly by  the  side  of  a  misspelled  copy,  and 
compare  the  two  modes,  pronouncing  the  word 
aloud.  When  next  you  require  to  write  this 
word,  your  tongue,  ear,  eye  and  hand  will  con- 
jointly aid  you. 

If  you  are  going  to  commit  to  memory  a  long 
piece,  write  out  a  small  portion  at  a  time,  and 
carry  it  about  with  you,  looking  at  it  wdienever 
opportunity  offers.  Many  persons,  acting  npon 
this,  have  adorned  their  minds  in  no  mean  man- 
ner, without  ever  "sitting  down"  to  study. 
When  walking  in  the  streets,  or  engaged  in 
minor  pursuits,  w^e  are  apt  to  w^aste  our  time  in 
"thoughts  revolving."  A  slip  of  paper  from  the 
pocket,  used  as  proposed,  may  remedy  this. 

Do  not  w^ait  till  you  find  time  to  accomplish  a, 
great  deal,  but  attempt  a  little  immediately. 
Learn  a  small  portion  daily,  and  occasionally 
repeat,  in  suitable  divisions,  the  whole  of  that 
which  you  have  learned.     The  latter  injunction 


20  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

sliould  Eot  be  neglected,  as  it  is  quite  as  im- 
portant to  retain,  in  available  condition,  the  re- 
sults of  past  application,  as  it  is  to  make  fresh 
acquisitions. 

It  is  an  excellent  plan  to  place  the  piece  of 
composition  you  wish  to  learn  before  you  of  a 
morning,  when  dressing,  and  learn  as  you  pro- 
ceed with  your  toilet.  It  is  also  good  to  repeat 
the  piece  just  before  going  to  bed;  that  which 
is  then  brought  before  the  mind,  though  appar- 
ently imperfectly  known  at  night,  is  often  found 
thoroughly  mastered  in  the  morning. 

When  learning  by  heart,  it  is  well  to  retire  to 
some  room  or  localitj^  in  which  you  are  not  likely 
to  be  .  interrupted,  and  there  repeat  aloud. 
Poetry  may  sometimes  be  learned  with  speed, 
by  putting  a  well-known  tune  to  it. 

STUDY. 

Some  people  learn  best  seated,  others  prefer 
standing  or  walking;  and  these  last  modes  are 
certainly  healthier,  as  the  nervous  action  caused 
by  the  effort  of  learning  can  then  be  greatly 
modified.  Sitting  tends  to  cranij:)  the  chest  and 
bend  the  shoulders. 

When  you  feel  in  a  humor  for  study,  be  sure 
you  try  to  keep  so.  At  such  times  it  is  highly 
important  to  avoid  hearty  meals  and  distracting 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  21 

subjects.  Many  people  can  learn  best  wlien 
they  are  rather  hungry,  and,  when  their  atten- 
tion is  distracted  by  a  gnawing  in  the  stomach, 
allay  such  sensations  by  a  small  biscuit  and  a 
little  water.  A  meal  Avould  incapacitate  them 
for  further  study.  As  a  rule,  we  'habituate  our- 
selves to  eating  much  more  and  oftener  than  we 
require;  and  while  we  are  engaged  in  close  men- 
tal pursuits,  the  physical  wear  and  tear  is  not  so 
great  as  when  we  are  more  vigorously  employed, 
consequently  less  food  is  required;  a  surplus 
supply  exhausts  the  energies,  instead  of  renew- 
ing them. 

The  time  selected  for  study  will  greatly  in- 
fluence our  success.  Some  can  do  best  before 
breakfast,  while  others  appear  to  wake  up  in- 
tellectually at  night,  and  can  continue  to  study 
till  morning.  It  is  always  unwise  to  attempt 
hard  study  immediately  after  a  hearty  meal.  To 
persist  in  so  doing  will  eventually  muddle  the 
brain,  impair  the  digestion,  and  injure  the  gen- 
eral health. 

These  remarks  are  particularly  worthy  of  the 
attention  of  those  engaged  in  business.  With 
many,  the  evening  is  the  only  time  they  get  to 
themselves;  and  it  is  highly  important  to  know 
how  to  use  it  to  best  advantage. 

Don't  force   your    attention   when    you    are 


22  NATUKAL   MEMORY. 

weary.  Tliis  is  an  invaluable  advice;  but,  un- 
fortunately, it  is  very  difficult  to  avoid  the  ne- 
cessity of  violating  it.  In  fact,  to  work  when 
tired  is  the  duty  of  most  students.  It  then  be- 
comes a  matter  of  importance  to  know  how  to 
meet  this  demand  most  judiciousl}^  When  the 
mind  has  been  poring  over  some  abstract  sub- 
ject for  hours,  without  making  much  headway, 
a  restlessness  is  experienced.  First  one  foot 
may  be  sent  in  one  direction,  then  the  other  in 
another;  then  the  arms  fall  listlessly  by  the 
sides,  and  the  performance  is  completed  by  a 
yawn.  How  you  long  for  a  few  winks!  Well, 
close  your  eyes,  lose  youi'self  and  wake  refresh- 
ed. Get  some  one  to  rouse  you  when  you  have 
dozed  a  few  minutes,  for  fear  you  should  prolong 
your  sweet  oblivion.  This  is  also  very  effective 
in  case  of  grief  and  anxiety. 

Another  excellent  method  is  to  rise,  if  jou  are 
seated,  to  stretch  yourself,  close  your  hands, 
and  strike  out  vigorously,  right  and  left,  for  a  few 
moments. 

Washing  the  face  and  hands  in  cold  water  is 
also  good;  or  simply  applying  a  damp  towel  to 
your  eyelids. 

Sitting  near  the  fire  will  tend  to  draw  you  off 
to  sleep,  and  breathing  hot  or  impure  atmos- 
phere will  make  you  drowsy;  so  do  not  make 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  'A6 

yourself  too  cozy,  and  see  well  to  the  ventila- 
tion. 

A  short  run  in  the  open  air,  or  rushing  up  and 
down  stairs,  will  be  found  reviving.  Those  con- 
fined indoors  during  the  day  should  take  a  few 
minutes  walk  in  the  fresh  air  of  an  evening,  be- 
fore commencing  to  study. 

When  reading  produces  headache,  it  may  often 
be  removed  by  passing  the  tips  of  the  fingers  of 
both  hands  a  few  times  from  the  centre  of  the 
forehead  to  the  commencement  of  the  cheeks, 
either  at  the  distance  of  about  of  about  half  an 
inch  from  the  face,  or  in  contact  with  it.  Many 
have  tried  this  with  success. 

Some  students  suffer  greatly  from  thirst.  By 
gargling  the  throat,  and  rinsing  the  mouth  with 
cold  water,  this  feeling  may  be  removed;  some 
dip  a  crust  of  bread  in  cold  water  and  place  it 
in  their  mouth.  This  maybe  tried  by  "thirsty 
souls"  as  well  as  students. 

When  you  wish  to  concentrate  your  mind 
upon  a  given  subject,  prevent,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, anything  from  distracting  your  attention. 
If  you  have  several  things  to  do,  always  execute, 
those  of  importance  first,  as  a  most  powerful 
cause  of  distraction  is  the  knowledge  of  duty 
unperformed. 

Many  people  lament  the  amount  of  time  lost 


24  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

in  traveling,  as  they  cannot  tlien  study  or  read, 
except  at  the  penalty  of  a  headache  or  indispo- 
sition. They  should  repeat  mentally  that  which 
they  have  previously  learned.  Some  can  read 
very  well,  when  traveling,  by  placing  a  card 
immediately  below  the  line  upon  which  the  eye  is 
fixed;  this  greatly  counteracts  the  effect  of  the 
oscillation  of  the  carriage. 

Change  of  thought  is  most  refreshing  to  the 
mind.  When  close  application  has  wearied  you 
with  a  subject,  turn  to  a  fresh  and  more  inter- 
esting one.     Change  of  work  is  rest. 

Let  it  be  distinctly  understood  that  I  do  not 
advocate  unnecessary  irregularity  either  in  diet, 
exercise  or  sleep,  but  simply  give  certain  hints 
that  may  prove  advantageous  when  irregularity 
cannot  be  avoided.  Cultivate  regular  habits  as 
much  as  possible.  Over  study  and  mismanage- 
ment will  undermine  the  best  constitution.  Use 
wise  moderation  in  everything;  few  have  an  idea 
of  the  amount  of  application  which  can  be  en- 
dured by  a  careful  observation  of  nature's  laws. 

CARELESSNESS. 

That  which  is  commonly  regarded  as  defec- 
tive memory,  is  in  many  instances  simply  the 
result  of  carelessness,  which  may  be  manifested 
by- 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  25 

Want  of  attention; 
'  *      "    system ; 
*'      "   reflection; 
"      "    promptness. 

Endeavor  to  bring  your  mind  solely  on  tlie 
subject  you  have  in  hand.  Observe  thoroughly 
what,  when,  where,  how,  why,  etc. 

Be  systematic ;  keep  everything  in  its  proper 
plaee,  and  jou  will  save  your  time  and  patience 
when  you  look  for  the  required  article.  Accus- 
tom yourself  to  give  a  glance  or  thought  to  nec- 
essary requirements,  before  proceeding  about 
your  business. 

Be  prompt;,  do  not  defer  until  to-morrow  what 
should  be  done  to-day. 

Carelessness  is  often  productive  of  nervous- 
ness and  anxiety.  The  person  who  lacks  atten- 
tion, system  and  promptness,  is  repeatedly 
seized  with  a  panic — fearing  that  something  has 
been  forgotton,  or  mislaid,  or  omitted — while 
the  careful  man,  knowing  that  everything  is  in 
order,  can  look  events  calmly  in  the  face. 

ATTENTION. 

Attention  is  an  important  preliminary  to  mem- 
ory. Unless  we  pay  attention  to  what  is  going 
on,  it  is  impossible  to  remember  anything  about 
it.     The  two  great  causes  that  tend  to  destroy 


26  NATURAL   MEMORY. 

attention  are,  External  Impressions  and  Inter- 
nal Emotions.  Thus,  suppose  a  person  is 
nominally  listening  to  a  lecture  or  conversation, 
he  may  positively  not  be  hearing  it  at  all;  either 
his  attention  has  been  attracted  by  something 
he  has  just  seen,  and  he  may  be  thinking  of  that; 
or  something  said  in  the  address  may  have 
aroused  a  host  of  associations,  may  have  caused 
a  train  of  thoughts,  and  led  his  mind  astray. 
And  mark,  if  the  address  is  inanimate,  dry  and 
without  ideas,  the  distracting  influence  of  ex- 
ternal impressions  will  be  felt  by  many  listen- 
ers; if  the  discourse  is  spirited  and  interesting, 
the  internal  emotions  will  act  just  as  powerfully 
with  others.  "Well,  what  can  be  done  to  fix  the 
attention?  We  must  establish  a  mnemonical 
counter-attraction — fortify  our  minds  with  our 
attention-taking,  thought-securing  basis  of  as- 
sociation, upon  which  we  can  arrange  and  tix 
our  ideas. 

There  are  several  other  minor  causes  of  dis- 
traction: an  unconscious  liking  for  reverie;  an 
indiscreet  supply  of  food,  and  the  existence  of 
bad  ventilation.  The .  latter  may  often  be 
remedied  by  opening  a  door  or  window,  but  the 
other  conditions  rest  with  the  individual.  Cer- 
tain articles  of  diet  upset  some  people,  or  make 
them  drowsy;  and  over-eating  is  almost  sure  to 


NATURAL   MEMORY.  27 

have  the  same  effect.  Some  people  appear  to 
think  a  church  the  legitimate  place  in  which  to 
let  the  head  go  wool-gathering.  They  willingly 
allow  the  mind  to  wander  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  and  then  express  surprise  at  not  remem- 
bering the  sermon.  Keverie  is  a  species  of 
mental  dissipation  which  is,  in  the  length,  pre- 
judicial to  the  development  of  intellectual  power, 
and  those  who  wish  for  improvement,  should 
strive  to  conquer  the  habit.  The  eyes  have  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  attention.  If  we  look 
about  us,  we  are  likely  to  see  many  things  which 
may  distract  us;  so  it  is  desirable  to  keep  the  eyes 
on  the  speaker,  if  possible,  not  on  bald  heads 
or  pretty  bonnets — now  and  then  a  voice  should 
whisper :  ' '  Pay  attention !" 

MENTAL   PICTURINa. 

Perfection  of  association  is  that  which  secures 
the  harmonious  action  of  the  greatest  number 
of  powers  which  can  be  brought  into  use  for  the 
object  desired.  We  may  fail  from  want  of 
articulation,  but  more  frequently  forgetfulness 
arises  from  imperfectly  picturing.  Impressions 
maybe  made  variously,  sometimes  thus:  The 
tongue  gives  an  utterance  which  is  conveyed  to 
the  ear,  the  ear-received  utterance  produces  a 
mental  picture  which  is  received  by  the  mind's 


28  NATUKAL   MEMORY. 

eje,  and  the  impression  on  the  eye  awakens  re- 
flection or  mental  comment.  It  often  happens 
that  the  remark  made  on  a  thing  is  better  re- 
membered than  the  object  itself.  Hence  the 
importance  of  reflection  as  an  aid  to  memory. 

A  witty  remark  is  often  well  remembered.  A 
pupil  could  not  tell  which  arm  Nelson,  the  great 
English  Admiral,  had  lost,  but,  on  being  in- 
formed, said,  "I  shall  not  forget  that  now;  I 
see  it  was  not  the  one  which  was  left.'' 

In  the  ordinary  wa}^  it  sometimes  happens  that 
things  are  forgotton,  because  they  can  only  be 
seen  mentally,  or  thought  about  with  great  diffi- 
culty. Artificial  memory  here  supplies  the 
means  of  rendering  them  retainable.  In  re- 
membering, it  would  be  well  not  to  tax  one  or 
two  particular  powers,  but  to  secure  an  agree- 
able division  of  labor  by  means  of  artificial 
memory  aids. 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

INTKODUCTORY. 

There  are  many  natural  operations  of  the 
mind,  which,  when  properly  understood  and 
performed,  assist  the  memory  wonderfully. 
Some  of  these  have  long  been  in  use  under  the 
names  of  Mnemonics  (derived  from  a  Greek  word, 
meaning  to  remember),  and  Artificial  Memory, 
but,  owing  to  the  short-sighted  policy  of  the 
teachers  of  these  methods,  who  exact  a  promise 
of  secrecy  from  their  pupils,  the  systems  are 
not  much  known  to  the  general  public.  Books 
on  Memory  have  certainly  been  published,  but 
the  greater^  part  of  them  are  mere  advertise- 
ments of  methods  taught  by  their  authors,  and 
contain  nothing  new. 

Men  of  genius  and  high  standing  have  praised 
and  advocated  artificial  memory  aids,  and  a  host 
of  living  scholars  recommend  their  use,  yet  there 
are  persons  who,  without  even  investigating  the 
merits  of  the  system,  or  from  thoughtlessness, 
declaim  against  the  adoption  of  artificial  aids. 
This  is  rather  amusing,  when  we  consider  that 
reading,  writing  and  printing  are  but  artificial 


30  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

means  of  presenting  ideas  to  tlie  memory. 
What  is  the  written  word  "  memory?"  It  is  an 
artificial  combination  of  artificial  signs,  which, 
by  common  consent,  represents  to  our  memory 
that  particvilar  power  of  the  mind  artificially 
named  "memory." 

The  antagonists  of  mnemonics  reason  to  this 
effect.  To  bring  ideas  before  the  memory  by 
the  artificial  means  of  reading,  writing  and 
printing,  is  wise;  but  to  bring  the  same  ideas 
before  the  memory  by  any  other  artificial  mode, 
is  folly.  Such  able  reasoning  is,  perhaps,  too 
profound  to  be  understood  in  our  unenlightened 
times,  but  as  we  advance,  we  shall  no  doubt  see 
more  clearly. 

Others,  again,  will  not  listen  to  the  facts  that 
proclaim  artificial  memory  one  of  the  easiest 
arts  to  learn,  and  to  apply,  but  state  that  they 
cannot  spare  the  time  to  master  it,  or  that  they 
will  not  burden  their  heads  with  any  more  lore. 
The  man  who  is  in  a  hurry  to  proceed  to  a  dis- 
tant place,  and  is  offered  a  fast  horse  to  take 
him  there,  might  just  as  well  say,  "I  have  no 
time  to  mount  the  horse,"  and  walk  on.  Or  the 
man  who  has  to  dig  a  hole  in  a  rocky  ground, 
and  is  offered  a  pick  to  assist  him,  might  with 
equal  reason,  reply  "  I  can't  burden  myself 
with  a  pick,"  and  use  his  fingers.     Of  this  latter 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  dl 

class  was  the  man  who,  on  going  to  visit  his 
friend,  and  not  caring  to  think  of  the  number 
of  the  house  where  his  friend  lived,  because  it 
would  bother  his  head,  went  to  every  house  in 
the  street  to  enquire  for  him. 

The  anti-mnemonist  a,nd  the  other  man,  will 
find  the  following  extract  from  the  "  Persever- 
ing Student "  applicable  to  their  case. 

"  Seeing  that  it  was  highly  important  to  make 
haste,  he  delayed  as  much  as  possible;  and  hav- 
ing great  faith  in  early  rising,  he  lay  in  bed  till 
twelve,  and  sat  up  late.  Knowing  that  he  pos- 
sessed a  remarkably  sieve-like  memory,  he 
poured  knowledge  into  it  as  fast  as  possible,  in 
order  to  obtain  a  full  mind.  Desiring  to  study 
History,  he  at  once  commenced  with  Hebrew. 
At  the  examination,  the  results  were  most  sat- 
isfactory, for,  on  finding  himself  plucked,  he 
found  consolation  in  the  thoug'it  that  he  had 
not  been  idle,  and  decided  upon  devoting  an- 
other year  or  two  to  similar  study.  He  soon 
fell  into  indolent  habits,  however,  and  became 
seriousljdll  from  over  application; but,  as  he  may 
recover  before  he  dies,  we  will  leave  him  here." 

Many  people  use  artificial  means  of  aiding  the 
memory,  peculiar  to  themselves.  The  country 
lass  will  often  tie  a  knot  on  her  handkerchief, 
or   a   string  on  her  finger,  to  be  reminded  of 


32  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

some  errand  or  engagement.  Tlie  city  dame 
will  often  aid  her  memory  in  remembering  the 
number  of  a  house,  by  selecting  words  contain- 
ing the  requisite  number  of  letters  to  represent 
the  figures.  No  66  would  be  recalled  by  "fin- 
est houses" — both  words  having  six  letters;  34 
=  ''bad  girl" — had  ha  nng  three,  Q,nd  girliowc 
letters.     These  are,  however,  j)oor  methods. 

The  mnemonist  uses  surer  and  more  system- 
atical means.  Give  any  person  unacquainted 
with  artificial  memory  a  hundred  disconnected 
words  or  figures  to  learn.  He  will  find  it  a  long 
and  difficult  task,  and,  unless  his  memory  is 
exceptionally  good,  he  will,  after  all,  feel  uncer- 
tain whether  he  can  remember  them  all  or  not. 
Give  the  same  task  to  a  mnemonist,  and  he  will 
grapple  with  it  like  a  strong  man  rejoicing  in 
his  power.  He  will  find  the  work  easy,  and 
certain  of  being  accomplished. 

The  advantages  resulting  from  the  use  of  this 
system,  aside  from  its  means  of  aiding  the  mem- 
ory, are  numerous.  It  improves  the  intellect 
generally,  enlarges  the  imagination,  gives  con- 
fidence, and  diminishes  the  probability  of  over- 
taxing the  faculties.  It  strengthens  the  judg- 
ment by  enabling  a  person  to  keep  more  facts 
and  knowledge  before  the  mind.  It  induces  a 
systematic   mode   of   thinking  and   acting:  the 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMOPtY.  38 

man  wlio  uses  no  method  in  remembering,  holds 
facts  in  liis  head  in  a  state  of  confusion,  and 
does  not  know  where  to  find  them;  while  the 
mnemonist  puts  each  in  its  place,  and  can  pro- 
duce them  whenever  they  are  wanted.  It  saves 
time :  the  student  who  learns  in  one  hour,  by 
artificial  memory',  what  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances would  have  taken  him  five  hours  or  more 
to  master,  has  saved  the  difterence  in  time. 
This  spare  time  he  may  devote  to  further  stud- 
ies, or  to  exercise.  The  classmate  who  strains 
his  brain  by  useless  repetitions,  and  languishes 
for  want  of  the  necessary  exercise  to  refresh  his 
head  and  body,  sees  with  envy  and  astonish- 
ment that  his  comrade,  w^ho  is  considered  to 
have  a  poorer  head  than  himself,  not  only  sur- 
passes him  in  accuracy  and  amount  of  knowl- 
edge, but  finds  time  for  recreation.  It  serves 
to  fix  the  attention:  a  sprightly,  interesting- 
subject  is  sure  to  secure  the  attention;  but, 
unfortunately,  there  are  a  great  many  abstract 
and  dry  matters  that  will,  in  spite  of  our  best 
efforts,  send  us  ''wool-gathering."  The  pleasant 
mode  of  using  artificial  memory  will  greatly 
counteract  this  by  making  the  subject  more 
lively.  Further,  by  enabling  us  to  dispose  of 
the  ideas  and  facts  presented,  we  find  ourselves 
in  a  position  to  pay  more  attention  to  minor,  or 
to  succeeding  details. 


AETIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


CHAPTER  I. 


ASSOCIATION. 


Association  of  ideas  is  the  principal  agency 
of  artificial  memor}^,  and  its  motto :  Link  tlionglit 
with  thought,  and  think  of  the  impression.  The 
power  of  association  to  call  up  forgotten  cir- 
cumstances must  be  well  known  to  every  one. 
The  knot  on  the  handkerchief,  or  the  string  on 
the  finger,  serves  to  recall  the  errand  or  engage- 
ment that  might  otherwise  have  escaped  the 
memory.  What  a  host  of  remembrances  are 
brought  to  life  by  a  visit  to  the  home  of  your 
childhood!  Every  house,  every  view,  appears 
loaded  with  incidents  that  perhaps  never  en- 
tered your  thoughts  from  the  time  you  left  their 
scene  until  you  now  return,  years  older  and 
wiser.  You  approach  the  moss-covered  old  oak, 
and  notice  in  the  bark  a  nearly  overgi^own  mark 
that  recalls  some  act  of  boyish  mischief,  or,  to  be 
more  charitable,  some  memorial.  You  wander 
bv  the  stream,  and  a  tiny  "forget-me-not"  meets 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  35 

your  eye.  Instantly  there  rush  tlirougli  your 
memory  the  scenes  of  the  day  when,  with  a 
voice  trembling  from  emotion,  you  offered  the 
flower  to  one  who  was  dearer  to  you  than  every- 
thing else.  A  song,  a  glimpse,  a  mere  trifle, 
will  bring  old  ideas  fresh  before  you.  In  com- 
pany, where  the  conversation  is  j)i'etty  diversi- 
fied, you  may  often  hear  persons  illustrate  this 
association  by  exclaiming,  "Ah,  that  reminds 
me  !"  some  remark  having  roused  a  slumbering 
incident.  This  serves  to  show  that  the  well 
known  tends  to  call  iiip  the  less  known. 

Artificial  memory  is  the  art  of  using  this 
association  in  a  systematic  manner:  to  connect 
with  well  known  facts  those  that  we  wish  to 
remember,  so  that  by  referring  to  the  known 
facts  we  may  be  able  to  recall  the  less  known 
ones  connected  with  them.  To  form  mental 
pictures  is  the  only  exertion  required  of  the 
student,  and  will  be  found  very  pleasant. 

When  there  is  no  connection  between  the 
words  to  be  committed  to  memory,  it  is  difficult 
to  retain  them;  we  must,  therefore,  establish 
a  connection,  and  link  one  word  with  another. 
Try  to  remember  the  following  words  by  read- 
ing them  over  once  only : 

cow  Mississippi  bridge 

storm  coat  apples 


36  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

pins  legs  tree 

house     .  cellar  woman 

stars  life 

You   will  probably   find   it   difli,cult.     Well, 
form  a  connection;   link   the   words   together, 
taking  care  that  you  form  a  clear,  vivid  picture 
— one  that  you  will  thoroughly  realize  in  your 
mind,  before  you  leave  it.     By  a  little  practice 
you  will  acquire  a  wonderful  facility  in  pictur- 
ing.    You  may  link  the  words  as  follows : 
A  coiv  swimming  across  the  Mississippi  (imagyje 
that  you  actually  see  a  cow  swimming  and^' 
splashing  in  the  river)  because  the  bridge 
had  been  destroyed  by  a  storm  (fancy  that 
you  see  before  you  a  bridge  ruined  by  a 
storm,  and  consider  this  the  reason  for  the 
cow's  swimming  the  river,  instead  of  walk- 
ing across),  wore  a  coat  (fancy  a  cow  with  a 
coat  on),  which  was  full  of  apples  with  pins 
stuck  in  them  (imagine  that  jou  see  this); 
in  running,  the  apples  knocked  against  Her 
legs,  which  so  frightened  her  that  she  ran 
up  against  a  t7xe  (picture)  growing  by  the 
side  of  a  house,  and  tumbled  downjnto  the 
cellar,    falling   right   upon   a.^MfQ^ia)},    and 
causing  her  to  see  more  sto^^s^than  she  ever 
saw  in  her  lije  before  (imagine  that  you  are 
standing   near    by,    and    observing    tliese 
curious  incidents). 


AETIFICIAL  MEMORY.  37 

Connecting  the  words  in  some  sucli  absurd 
manner,  you  will  find  no  difficulty  in  naming 
them  as  you  mentally  review  the  picture  formed. 

Try  another  list  of  words : 


man 

lOJ) 

money 

J)  en 

summer 

coal 

hat 

tanner 

eggs 

window 

crowd 

stones 

palace 

river 

Ind  connect  them  somewhat  like  this:     A  man 
V  who  looked  like  a  fop,  and  made  money  by 
his  pen  in  th«  summer,   dropped  a  red-hot 
coal  upon  the^t^  of  a  tanner  who  was  eating 
eggs,  while  looking  thro'  the  ivindoio  at  the 
crowd  that   was   throwing   stones   over   the 
palace  on  the  other  side  of  the  river. 
Eeflect  upon  each  picture  before  you  proceed 
to  the  next  one.     Unless  you  make  the  picture 
vivid,  you  will  not  remember  the  words  so  well; 
you  must  imagine  that  you  are  an  actual  spec- 
tator of  the  scenes  formed  in  jowc  picture,  or  an 
actor  in  them.     Write  down  a  number  of  words 
at  randoin,  and  form  your  own  connection. 

A  mor^  effectual  plan  of  committing  words  to 
memory  is^to  connect  them  with  a  well-known 
piece  of  poetry  or  prose.  One  containing  plenty 
of  nouns  is  best.  Say  that  your  list  of  words 
commences  with,  leaf,  fire,  giant,  crystal,  horse, 
etc.,  and  that  your  poem  begins  thus: 


38  ARTIFICL\X  MEMORY. 

"Under  a  spreading  chestnut-tree, 
The  village  smithy  stands; 
The  smith,  a  mightj^  man  is  he, 
With  large  and  sinewy  hands." 

Take  tlie  first  noun  in  the  poem,  chestnut-tree^ 
and  connect  Zeq/witli  it.  "A  chestnut-trie 
with  but  a  single  leaf,''  will  do  for  a  picturd. 
Fire  is  the  next  word,  to  be  connected  with 
V  smithy.  Imagine  a  roaring  fire  in  a  smitft^, 
^'A  smith  as  tall  as  a  giant,''  will  do  for  the 
following  picture.  '  Connect  man  and  crys- 
tal: A  man  swallowing  a  crystal.  Hands 
and  horse :  A  horse  born  with  hands  iusteapl 
of  hoofs,  and  so  on.  Having  formed  a 
vivid  j^icture  of  each  word  in  connectioh 
with  the  nouns  in  your  poem,  you  can  re- 
call them  by  thinking  of  the  words  in  the 
verses.  Chestnut-tree  will  recall  leaf;  smithy 
will  suggest  fire;  smith,  giant,  etc. 
Simple  and  paltry  as  this  may  at  first  appear, 

you  will  find  it  of  great  value. 

Following  chapters  will  contain  more  complete 

and  methodical  plans   of   remembering   words 

and  ideas. 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  39 


CHAPTER  II. 

MNEMONIC   ALPHABET;    MEMORY   TABLE. 

-  Before  we  proceed  any  further  with  tlie  sys- 
te^m  for  remembering  words  and  ideas,  we  must 
^/irn  a  plan  by  which  to  recollect  figures.     It 

far  easier  to  remember  words  than  figures, 
'ou  will  not  be  so  likely  to  forget  the  word 
''street,"  as  the  number  6,232,  or  the  name 
"Franklin,"  as  the  figures  539,079;  and  yet 
there  is  a  way  by  which  figures  can  be  remem- 
bered as  easily  as  words :  by  translating  figures 
into  letters,  numbers  can  be  formed  into  words. 

The  first  step  is  to  learn  the  Mnemonic  alpha- 
bet. A  careful  study  of  different  systems  has 
convinced  the  author  that  the  alphabet  here 
given  is  superior  to  any  which  he  has  seen. 

Let 

),  and  the  similar  sonnds  ]  c,  .  t-  i  \  Capital  J  is  like  a  1 ; 

ch,  [  repiesent  1  j  -^  ^^^  ^^^  j.^^_ 


</(soft),  sh, 

1 

I 

t,  aud  its  subdued  sound  \ 

d,  j 


The  letter  t  is  the 
principal  sound,  and 
only  consonant,  in  the 
word  tico. 


I  I  The     letter    r  is   the 

r,  \         ^^       3  \  princiiDal  soiiud in  the 


I  I  word  three. 

J  I 

1  f 


ni, 


\         <t       yt  \  Capital    M    has   four 

/  *  i    cfvr>lrA« 


strokes 


40 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


/,  aud  its  subdued  sound  | 


5 


!  The  letter  /  and  r  are 
both  found  in  the  word 
five;  V  is  the  Roman 
tioiire  for  5. 


S,    and     the      similarly 
sounding  letters  c  (soft) 

«5 


and  its   sharp   sound 


q,  and  its  similar  sounds 
h,  c  (hard),  g  (hard), 
and  Uff.  J 


The    letter   s  is    the 
^  J  chief    sound    in    the 
}  word  six;  capital  writ- 
ten C  looks  like   a  6. 

yy  J  Capital  L  inverted,  is 
'  1  like  a  7. 

^  j  Ccipital  B  is  like   an 
^  ]8. 

The    letter    n  is  the 
f.  J  chief  sound,  and/)nl^ 
1  consonant, in  the  word 
;  *- 1  nine. 

1^  Capital  Q  is  like  a  0; 
c  is  also  like  it. 


O^ 


Yowels  are  not  reckoned ;  neither  is  iv  nor  h, 
on  account  of  tlieir  being  silent  in  many  words. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  we  always  go 
by  sound,  and  not  by  spelling.  The  word  ccdm 
we  pronounce  as  if  spelled  halim;  cough,  as  if 
spelled  hof;  night  as  nite;  giddiness  as  gid-i-ness; 
notion  as  noshim,  etc.  The  reason  for  this  is 
that,  when  a  figure  has  been  translated  into  a 
word,  and  you  wish  to  reconvert  it,  you  may 
have  no  trouble  about  the  spelling  of  the  word. 
Some  might  forget  how  hiight  is  spelled,  and 
get  confused  when  trying  to  translate  it  into  a 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  41 

figure.     Phonetic  spelling  prevents  the   possi- 
bility of  mistakes. 

Let  US  fix  the  alphabet  firmly  in  memory  by 
going  over  it  once  more.  The  figure  1  can  be 
translated  into^,  as  111  joy;  into  g,  as  in  George; 
into  the  subdned  sound  sh,  as  in  shade,  sure,  no- 
tion; into  the  sharp  sound  ch,  tcli,  as  in  c7iah% 
ditch.  The  figure  2  is  represented  by  t,  its  Idn- 
,dred  sounds  d  and  th,  as  in  that,  third.  The 
"  figure  3  is  represented  by  r,  as  in  I'oiver.  The 
figure  4  is  represented  by  m,  as  in  mmna.  The 
figure  5  is  represented  by/,  and  its  heavy  sound 
V,  as  m  favor.  The  figure  6  is  represented  by 
s,  c  (soft),  and  its  hissing  sound  z,  as  in  cease, 
zero,  iviser.  The  figure  7  is  represented  by  I, 
as  in  lily.  The  figure  8  is  represented  by  j:>, 
and  its  heavy  sound  h,  as  in  public.  The  figure 
9  is  represented  by  n,  as  in  noon,  and,  lastly, 
the  cipher  (0)  is  represented  by  q,  h,  c  (hard), 
the  heavy  sound  g  (hard),  and  the  nasal  sound 
ng,  as  in  coke,  quill,  gong. 

The  next  thing  is  to  translate  words  into 
figures,  and  figures  into  words,  for  practice. 
Arkansas  =  30966.  The  a,  being  a  vowel,  is 
not  reckoned;  r  stands  for  3;  ^-=0;  a  is 
not  counted;  n  stands  for  9;  s:=::6;  a.  is 
skipped;  s^^6;  rk-ns-s  =z  30966 .  Missis- 
si2jpi=i4i66S;    m=4;  ss,    equal   to    one   s 


42  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

sound,    stands   for  6 ,    ss^G;  pp  ==  p  =  8 ; 
9yi-6'S-ss-pp  =  4668.     Knouieclge^^  971;   k  is 
not   sounded;  n=z9;   ow   is   not   counted; 
lz=zl ;  dg  sounds  as/,  which   equals  1;  n-l- 
dg—  971.     Defile  —  257;     remove  =  345; 
liomehj  ^  47 ;     houseivife  =  65 ;     Californian 
=  075399,  etc. 
Continue  to  practice  in  this  way  for  a  short 
time,  either  on  paragraphs  in  this  book,  or  in  the 
head,  and  then  try  to  form  w^ords  out  of  figures. 
For  instance,  172  may  be  rendered  into  child, 
shield  or    jollity;  547  =  family,  half-a-mile^ 
foamy  ale;  369  =  raisin,  our  so)%,  ivar  sign; 
830  —  prong,  pork,  brig;  83626  =  parasites, 
'priestess,    poor  seats;    57496  —  fall  moons, 
a  few  lemons,  vile  means,  etc. 
Facility  in    the   translation   of    figures   into 
words,    and   vice  versa,   is  acquired  by  just  a 
little  practice.    If  you  have  to  translate,  say  57, 
you  take  the  representing  letters/ or  z;  and  I, 
and,  commencing  with  the  vowels  in  their  order, 
a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  y,  run  over  them   quickly  in  con- 
junction with  the  consonants',  like  this:  fal  — 
fall;  fel—  fell,  —  feel;   f  il  —  fill;  fo  I  —foal, 
—fool;  f  u  I  —  full;  and   then    v  a  I  —  vale;  v  i  I 
—  no  word,   v  yl  —  vile;   again,  hovl  =  hovel, 
etc.     Running  them  over  like  this,  you  can  stop 
at  the  most  approjDriate  word,  and  fix  upon  that 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  43 

to  represent  tlie  figures.  When  you  have  formed 
the  figures  into  words,  you  should  associate  them 
with  each  other,  or  with  some  piece  of  poetry,  etc. 
by  making  a  vivid  picture;  you  will  then  be  able 
to  remember  figures  with  as  much  ease  as  w^ords. 

There  are  many  cases,  however,  when  it  will 
be  found  difficult  to  form  a  good  picture  of  any 
length,  or,  when  several  pictures  have  been 
made,  to  recall  the  leading  words  that  will  sug- 
gest the  other  parts;  in  many  instances  you  may 
have  one  word  only  to  remember,  and  require 
some  permanently  fixed  picture  words  to  con- 
nect with.  ,  The  following  table  of  words  suit- 
able for  picture-making  will  supply  this  want. 
These  words  are  to  be  used  as  "memory -pegs," 
on  which  to  hang  facts,  ideas  or  words,  or  as 
"pigeon-holes,"  into  which  to  place  them;  so 
that,  by  referring  to  any  one  of  them,  you  may 
find  the  facts  attached. 

The  table  is  composed  of  words  representing 
the  numbers  from  1  to  100,  and  may  be  extend- 
ed by  the  pupil  as  occasion  requires.  If  the 
figure  alphabet  has  been  mastered,  you  will  find 
no  difficulty  in  committing  the  table  to  memor}^ 
by  reading  it  over  carefully  once;  and  once 
learned,  it  will  serve  through  a  lifetime  as  a 
means  of  remembering,  wdth  ease  and  certainty, 
a  thousand  matters  which  may  be  desirable  to 
know. 


u 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


]viem:ory 


0 
Key 

1 

Shoe 

2 

Toe 

3 
Hair 

4 
Ham 

10 
Jig 

11 

Judge 

12 

Shot 

13 
Chair 

14 

Jam 

20 
Dog 

21 
Ditch 

22 
Tooth 

23 
Door 

24 
Dome 

30 

Eock 

31 

Wretch 

32 
Eod 

33 

Warrior 

34 
Koom 

40 
Mug 

41 
Match 

42 

Mouth 

43 

Moor 

44 
Mummy 

50 
Fig 

51 
Fish 

52 

Fight 

53 
Fire 

54 
Foam 

60 

Sack 

61 

Sage 

62 
City 

63 
Czar 

64 
Swim 

70 
Lock 

71 

Leech 

72 
Lad 

73 
Lyre 

74 
Lamb 

80 
Pick 

81 
Bush 

82 
Boat 

83 
Bear 

84 
Beam 

90 
Neck 

91 

Niche 

92 
Naiad 

93 
Norway 

94 

Name 

ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


45 


TABLE. 


5 
View 

6 

Saw 

7 
Hill 

8 
Bee 

9 
Hen 

15 

Shave 

16 

Cheese 

17 
Jail 

18 
Ship 

19 
Chain 

25 
Dcve 

26 
Dice 

27 
Towel 

28 
Tub 

29 
Den 

35 
Eoof 

36 

Eose 

37 
Bail 

38 
Eope 

39 
Eain 

45 

Muff 

46 

Mouse 

47 
Mule 

48 
Map 

49 
Moon 

55 

Fife 

56 
Face 

57 
File 

58 
Fop 

59 
Fan 

65 

Safe 

66 
Sauce 

67 
Seal 

68 
Spy 

69 
Sun 

75 
Leaf 

76 

Lass 

77 
Lily 

78 
Lip 

79 

Lane 

85 
Beef 

86 
Bus 

87 
Pill 

88 
Puppy 

89 
Pin 

95 
Knife 

96 

Nose 

97 
Nail 

98 
Nap 

99 
Nun 

46  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

With  tlie  table  all  tlie  drudgery  of  the  system 
is  surmounted;  you  have  only  to  apply  what  has 
already  been  learned.  Feats  of  memory,  which 
the  world  at  large  would  consider  beyond  human 
power,  will  now  be  easy  to  perform. 

Key  will  do  for  0 ;  k,  the  only  consonant  in  the 
word,  representing  0,  according  to  the  alphabet. 
Shoe  will  do  for  1;  the  only  consonent  sound, 
sli,  representing  1.  Toe  stands  for  2  (^=^2); 
Bair—3  (r=3);  Ham  =  4:  («i=4);  Vieio—5  {v=5); 
ditch  =.21  (d-tch  =  2-l):  safe -^65  (s-f==6-5); 
nail  =^97  (^n-l=9-l).  And  so  on.  The  words  in 
the  table  being  formed  by  a  translation  of  the 
figures  against  which  they  stand,  will  at  once 
be  understood  and  remembered,  and  may  be 
extended  beyond  100  by  a  similar  process  of 
translating. 

Since  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  table,  or  the 

first  part  of  it,  run  fluently  on  tlie  tongue,  in 

order  that  there  may  be  no  hesitation  when  a 

"peg"  is  wanted,  it  would  be  well,  if  only  for 

practice,  to  form  a  series  of  pictures  of  the  first 

twenty  or  thirty  words,  which  will  be  most  in 

use.     You  might  commence  thus: 

Finding  a  /te//  in  my  shoe,  under  the  big  toe,  I 

enveloped  it  in  hair,  and  hid  it  in  a  ham, 

which  I  placed  on  vieio  by  the  old  saiv  on 

the  hill,  where  a  hce  and  a  heii  were  dancing 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  47 

a  jig,  etc.    You  can  picture  tlie  words  thus: 
0  stands  for  l^ey — the  handle  of  a  'key  is  like 
a  0;  1  stands  for  shoe — a  one-legged  man 
has  only  one  sJioe;  2  stands  for  toe — we  have 
two  big  toes,  or  tivo  sounds  like  toe;  3  stands 
for  hair — hah'  is  like  a  bushy  tree;  4  stands 
for  ham — imagine  a  big  four  written  on  it; 
and  so  on. 
This  mode,  however,   of  learning  the  table, 
not  one  in  twenty  will  require  to  use;  for  the 
translation  of  the  figures,  aided  by  a  vivid  pic- 
turing of  the  word,  will  serve  to  fix  it  in  mem- 
orv. 


48 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMOHY. 


CHAPTEK  III. 

HOW   TO   REMEMBER   WORDS. 

Having  mastered  tlie  table,  or  as  much  of  it 
as  you  chose  to  learn,  you  will  be  shown  how  to 
apply  it,  so  as  to  remember  any  number  of 
words  after  reading  or  hearing  them  once.  Take 
these  words  as  an  example : 


magpie 

plank 
battle 

boat 
mud 

sea 

thistle 

rum 

pole 

sheep 

tea 

reef 

woman 

pig 

candy 

bottle 

silk 

crystal 
iron 

carpet 
window 

gravel 
fire 

stocking 

estate 

street 

rope 

palace 

flowers 

tiger 

boy 

cloth 

# 

frog 

horse 

ear 

stream 

cottage 

bread 

monkey 
knife 

powder 
promenade 

mountain 
hat 

Connect  each 

soap,  etc 
word  with 

one 

of  the  pegs  in 

the   table,    by  means  of  a 

picti 

lire.     The  first 

word  in  the  list 

is  guy\  connect  it  with  peg  1, 

ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  49 

which  is  slioe.     In  this  ilhistration  we  skip  peg 
0,  for  reasons  given  below.     Make  a  vivid  pic- 
ture of  it;   use  your  imagination.     Do  not  be 
particular  with  regard  to  the  character  of  your 
picture;  the  more  absurd  it  is,  the  better  you 
will  remember  it.    A  ridiculous  thing  will  strike 
the  mind  more  than  any  ordinary  event.     The 
pictures   here  given  as  an  illustration  are  the 
first  that  suggested  themselves  to  my  mind,  and 
'the  pupil  can,  no  doubt,  form  better  ones.    But 
mind,  do  not  read  the  words  of  your  picture 
naerely;  imagine  that  you  actually  see  the  scenes 
described,  that  you  take  a  part  in  them. 
Associate  guy  with  shoe.    Fancy  a  guy  with  only 
one   slioe.     Next  planh  with  toe.     Imagine 
that  you  get  into  a  rage,  and  kick  your  toe 
through  a  .thick  j^lcinJc.     Next  follows  boat, 
to  be  joined  to  Jiair.     Picture  to  yourself  a 
hoat,  loaded  with  human  A«iV,  sailing  past. 
Magpie  and  ham:   a  thievish  magpie  flying 
away  wdth  your  breakfast  ham.     Battle  and 
vieio:  a  battle  of  which  you  have  a  view  from 
an  eminence.     Mud  and  satv:  a  sa^v  sticking 
in  the  mud.    'Se-i  and  hill:  a  green  hill  in 
the  middle  of   the  sea.     Thistle  and  bee:  a 
bee  trying  in  vain  to  get  sweet  from  a  thistle. 
Bum  and  hen:  a  hen  getting  drunk  on  rum. 
Pole  and  jig:  a  man  dancing  ixjig  on  a  pole. 


50  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

Sheep  and  Judge:  a  judge  sitting  on  a  sheep. 
Tea  and  shot:  on  opening  a  packet  of  tea  to 
find  it  adulterated  with  shot.  Beef  and  chair: 
a  chair  washed  on  to  a  reef.  Woman  and 
Jam:  a  looman  making ,/«??! .  Pig  and  shave: 
a  p)^9  running  into  a  barber  shop  to  get  a 
shave.  Candy  and  cheese:  a  cheese  made  of 
candy.  Bottle  a.nd  Jail:  the  bottle  is  the  chief 
supporter  of  the  jail.  Silk  and  sA/p;  a  sA?"^ 
with  sails  of  silk.  Crystal  and  chain:  Si  chcdit 
of  crystal.  Carpet  and  r/o^;  a  t/or/  tearing  up 
a  carpet.  Gravel  and  ditch:  a  c/^Vc/i  filled  up.^ 
with  gravel.  Iron  and  tooth:  insert  a  tooth 
of  iron.  Windoiv  and  c/oor;  a  house  without 
windoiv  or  c/oo?\  Fire  and  dome:  the  ffo/^e 
on  fire.  Stocking  and  cfove;  a  dead  cfoi'e  in  a 
stocking.  Estate  and  c/ice;  losing  an  estate 
on  <iice.  /S/ree^^  and  towel:  flinging  the  towel 
into  the  street.  Bope  and  ^?7?>;  a  tub  hanging 
by  a  rope.  Tiger  and  den:  going  into  a  den 
and  falling  on  a  tiger.  F')wg  and  rock:  a  live 
frog  in  a  rock.  Palace  and  wretch:  a  wretch 
breaking  into  the  p)cdace.  Boy' a.nd  rod:  a 
Z>o^  balancing  a  rod  on  his  chin.  Horse  and 
tvarrior:  a  ivarrior  getting  his  Aorse  killed 
under  him.  Floioers  and  room:  a  room 
dressed  with  flowers.  Cloth  and  7'Oo/';  a  ?^oo/* 
made  of  hvodid-cloth.    Ear  and  rose:  wearing 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  61 

a  rose   in  her  ea7%    instead  of   an   earring. 
Stream  and  rail:  crossing  tlie  stream  on  a 
■  single  rail.     Cottage  and  ro^^e;  an  old  cottage 
held   togetter   by  a   rope.      Two    or   more 
words   may   be   connected   with   one   peg, 
without   extra   trouble.      Associate   bread, 
monkey  and  the  peg  rain.     A  monkey  mois- 
tening his  bread  in  the  rain.    Powder ,  moun- 
tain with  mug:  a  mug  of  poivder  blowing  np 
"  a  mountain.      Knife,    promenade,    hat  with 
niatch:  a  man   taking  a  promenade,  with  a 
,     burning  match  and  a  bare  knife  stuck  in  his 
hat.     Soap  and  mouth:    slipping  a  piece  of 
soap  into  your  mouth,  instead  of  sweetmeat. 
Your  list  being  committed  to  memory  by  such 
picturing  as  this,  3^011  have  only  to  think  of  the 
pegs,  which  you  can  always  do,  and  they  will 
at  once  suggest  the  word  or  words  associated 
with  each  of  them. 


shoe 

recalls 

g^^y 

toe  • 

plank 

hair 

boat 

ham 

magpie 

view 

battle 

saw 

mud 

hill 

sea 

bee 

thistle 

hen 

rum 

52 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


j^g 

C  I 

pole 

judge 

sheep 

shot 

tea 

chair 

reef 

jam 

ii 

woman  - 

shave 

I  ( 

pig 

cheese 

I  c 

candy 

jail 

i( 

bottle 

ship 

(  c 

silk 

chain 

i( 

crystal 

dog 

C  ( 

carpet 

ditch 

C( 

gravel 

tooth 

( ( 

iron 

door 

(C 

window 

dome 

ii 

fh-e 

dove 

i  i 

string 

dice 

i  i 

estate 

towel 

i  t 

street 

tub 

ii 

rope 

den 

i  i 

tiger 

rock 

i  i 

.  frog 

wretch 

palace 

rod 

I  i 

boy 

warrior 

horse 

room 

flowers 

roof 

ii 

cloth 

rose 

ii 

ear 

rail 

it 

stream 

AKTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


53 


rope 


ram 


mug 


match 


mouth 


cottage 
j  bread 
( monkey 
J  powder 
( mountain 
( knife 
-]hat 
( j)romenade 

soap 


This  shows  that  by  means  of  the  table  you 
can  instantly  remember  any  number  of  words, 
idiOft«saor  facts,  in  any  order  that  you  wish.  You 
may  repeat  them  backwards  or  forwards,  tell 
the  25th  word,  the  15th,  the  87th,  or  any  one 
required.  If  you  are  asked  to  name  the  28th 
word,  you  think  of  (2-8==t-b=)  tuh,  which  re- 
calls rope,  tte  42d  peg  is  moidli  (4-2^m-th), 
which  recalls  soap.  If  you  wish  to  know  what 
number  in  the  list  fire  is,  fire  will  at  once  recall 
dome,  which  is.  the  24th  peg.  Fire  is  therefore 
the  24th  word  in  the  list.  Had  we  included  peg 
0  in  the  picturing,  we  would  have  had  to  add  1, 
in  order  to  arrive  at  the  number  of  the  words; 
by  commencing  with  peg  1,  this  is  avoided. 


54  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

CHAPTEE  lY. 

HOW   TO   REMEMBER   FIGURES. 

Apreceeding  chapter  has  ah-eacly  explained  the 
method  by  which  figures  are  translated  into 
words,  so  as  to  be  more  readily  retained.  Sup- 
pose that  you  wish  to  remember  the  number  of 
a  house,  say,  238  Market  street;  by  translating 
238  into  the  letters  t  or  d,  r,  h  or  p,  and  filling 
in  the  vowels,  you  can  form  the  words  tribe,  trap, 
trip,  troupe,  drop,  dear  hoy,  tow-rope,  etc.,  and 
associate  one  of  them  with  Market  street:  taking 
a  trip  through  the  market',  a  troupe  performing 
in  the  market,  etc.  Or,  in  case  the  whole  pic- 
ture should  slip  out  of  memory,  connect  it  with 
a  peg,  thus:  key  lost  in  a  trap,  "wMe  passing 
through  the  market.  Key,  which  you  can  always 
think  of,  will  recall  the  words  associated  with 
it,  viz:  Market,  which  you  know  means  Market 
street;  and  trap,  which  you  wall  translate  into 
the  number. 

You  may  translate  293  into  tanner;  176  into  jails; 
458  into  move  up;  3G81  =  rosehush;  8760  = 
pull  a  scoio;  5491  =  half  my  niche ;^  13940 
=:  a  cherry  in  a  mug;  572359  =  flig^^ly 
raven;  192  =  chant:  796  =  lines;  248  = 
damp;  663  =  saucer;  349  =  ermine;  696  = 
sins;  350  =  roofing;  486  =  maps. 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  55 

HOW    TO    COMMIT    A    LONG    SERIES    OF   FIGURES    TO 
MEMORY. 

Let  US  take  a  list  of  fifty-one  figures,  and  see 
if  we  cannot  learn  them  in  a  very  short  time : 

363  273  806  617  323  642  59l'700  384  906  157  386 

756  613  942  478  320. 

They  seem  pretty  formidable  as  they  stand, 
bili-bj  appb'ii^o  tl^^  system,  the  task  becomes 
easy,  and  would  be  so  if  -the  list  were  twice  as 
lon^. 
,  Separate  the  figures  into  groups  of  three,  by 
pencil  strokes.  Then  translate  each  group  into 
a  word  or  words,  and  apply  your  memory  pegs 
to  each  group  in  its  order.  By  arranging  the 
figures  in  groups  of  three  each,  jou  will  be  able 
to  name  the  25th,  the  12th,  the  50th,  or  any  one 
required;  if  this  is  not  desired,  you  may  form 
words  representing  one,  two  or  more  figures,  as 
they  happen  to  suggest  themselves : 
The  first  group,  363,  may  be  rendered  into  Jiorse- 
hah%  and  connected  with  j)6g  Ij  ^  ^^^o^ 
stufi'ed  with  horse-hair.  The  second  group, 
273,  may  be  formed  into  tiller,  and  joined 
to  toe;  the  captain  holding  the  tiller  with 
his  toe.  Make  the  picture  vivid;  imagine 
that  you  actually  see  the  things  described ! 


56  AETIFICIAL  MEMOKY. 

Next,   806  =  hooks,    to  connect   with  hair', 
some     hooks    tied    together    by     a    single 
hair.     617  =  satchel;  a  boy  carrying  a  ham 
in  his  satchel.      323  :=:  lur'der;  a  ivriter  de- 
scribing a  romantic  viezt;.      642  =  smith;  a 
blacksmi^/i  using  a  sa^t;  on  a  piece   of  iron. 
591  ^  funny  show;    a  funny   show   taking 
phice  on  a  7a^/.     700  =  oil-cake;  a  ?)ee  suck- 
ing an  oil-cake.      383    =   rohher;    a   rohher 
stealing  a  hen.^.    906  ^  n«(/.s;  some  miser- 
able  Ipoking   nag§   dancing  a  jig.  '^^157==: 
shovel;  a  judge  reduced  to  work  with  a  shovel. 
386  =  rohes;  the  kingly  rohes  riddled  with 
shot.       756   =   leaves;     grandfather's  chair 
adorned  with  green  leaves.    613  =  sea  shore; 
a  boy  eating  jam  found  on  the  sea  shore. 
942  =  neiv  mode;  I  discover  a  new  mode  to 
shave.     478  =  my  lip;  holding  a  big  cheese 
on  my  lip.     320  =  red  cow;  a  red  coio  tear- 
ing down  the  jail. 
You  have  now  only  to  think  of  the  peg,  which 
will  be  sure  to  recall  the  figure  in  the  picture. 
Toe  will  recall  tiller,  which  stands  for  273  (t  = 
2;  1  =  7;  r=z:3).      Judge  will  suggest  shovel  = 
157.     If  you   are  asked   to  name  the  eleventii 
figure,  which  is  the  middle  figure  of  the  fourth 
group,  you  think  of  peg  4,  ham;  this  will  sug- 
gest satchel  ^zz  Qll ,    of   which   1  is   the   middle 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  57 

figure.  The  forty-fit'tb  figure  (divide  45  by  3), 
is  the  last  figure  in  group  fifteen,  peg  15,  shave 
will  recall  neiv  mode=^M2,  of  which  2  is  the 
last  figure. 

This  process  may  appear  a  little  complicated 

at  first,  but,  if  you  know  the  alphabet  well,  it 

''^  ought,  to  be  very  easy.     Practice  will  make  you 

^expert,  besides  greatly  benefiting  your  imagina- 

*  tiv^'and  other  faculties. 


i  m 


58  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

CHAPTER  Y. 

HOW   TO    REMEMBER    DATES. 

To  recollect  dates  has  liitlierto  been  a  dry 
and  difficult  task  to  the  student.  By  following 
the  method  here  giyen,  he  will  find  it  trans- 
formed into  an  easy  and  interesting  one. 

In  trying  to  bring  to  mind  some  line  of 
poetry,  its  first  word,  syllable,  or  even  letter, 
is  often  found  sufficient  to  recall  it.  This  fact 
is  largely  made  use  of  in  remembering  dates. 
Of  the  first  word,  syllable  or  letter  of  the  name 
of  the  event  to  be  remembered  form  a  phrase 
or  word  that  will  suggest  the  event,  and  at 
the  same  time  bear  some  relation  to  another 
word  or  phrase  formed  by  a  translation  of  the 
date. 

If  you  wish  to  remember  the  date  of  the  dis- 
covery of  America,  1492,  and  the  name  of  the 
discover,  Columbus,  you  may  do  so  in  this 
way:  America  has  a  mount  that  looks  like  a 
column;  America  will  recall  the  picture  of  the 
7770i«?i=492,  looking  like  a  column,  which  will 
suggest  Columbus.  In  modern  chronology, 
there  is  no  necessity  for  noticing  the  thousand, 
therefore  492  will  be  sufficient  to  recall  the 
whole  date,  1492.     Again,  "America  made  in- 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  69 

dependent,  1776,"  conld  be  rendered  into 
American  Indians  dislike  lilies.  The  first  sylla- 
ble of  Indians  will  suggest  independence;  lilies 
=  776=:  1776. 

When  you  have  a  series  of  dates  to  learn  in  a 
given  order,  you  may  connect  them  with  the 
pegs,  taking  care  to  make  the  relation  between 
the  peg,  the  event,  and  the  date  as  close  as  pos- 
siLIe,  in  order  that  the  impression  may  be  re- 
tailed. 

Should  there  be  several  kings  of  the  same 
name  in  your  lesson,  you  must  indicate  which 
one  is  meant,  either  by  giving  him  an  attribute, 
in  translating  the  number  into  a  word,  or  by 
giving  the  name  an  end-consonant  that  will 
stand  for  the  number.  Louis  the  XIY  =:  Low 
chum;  Louis  II  z=^Loid — here  L  will  be  sufficient 
to  recall  Louis,  while  t  will  suggest  the  11. 

In  order  to  illustrate  my  meaning  fully,  I  sub- 
join a  list  of  events  from  the  history  of  Eng- 
land, with  their  dates,  rendered  into  this  system. 


Events.  Dates.    Pegs, 

i 
f 
To  dance  on  one  toe  is  easier 


Augustine  lands  596    shoe  [  ^4  w.gnsfus  exacting  fines 

^  \  irom  all  who  wore  shoes. 


Danes  lands  787       toe  ,  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^^^  ^^  ^,^^^^_ 

Egbert  crowned  827     hair  i  ^  ^^^^'^^'y Poodle  breaking  the 

^  \  crown  of  an  egg-pot. 

{Ham  would  be  put  to  the 
hlush  to  learn  the  king's 
alphabet. 


60 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


886  view     View  of  babies  riding  an  ox. 

-inno  ^  „,  ^  Danes  at  mass  wear  a  cock- 

1002  sawj^^^i-j^^^^^^^^ 

in«fl  V.-11  J  ^  ^^^^  meeting  its  doom  in 

lUbb  mil  -j  ^j^g  ^^^^^  ^^  ^^^  ^.^^^ 

1096  bee     Bees  taking  a  cruise  in  canoes. 

.    -o    1    i.          1      J     1 1  rro  1  ^.,  i  A.  lien  killing  a  child  with  a 

A  Becket  murdered     1172  hen  -j  ^^^^.^^^ 


Oxford  University- 
Massacre  of  Danes, 

Doomsday-book 
First  Crusade 


Third  Crusade 
Elizabeth  crowned 
James  I  crowned 
Charles  I  crowned 
Charles  II  crowned 
James  II  crowned 


1192 


•  •     \  Three  Crusaders  dancing  a 
■•  ^  ]jig  in  a  shanty. 


1558inage\^j}^'Xot''"^''^'''^'^'''" 


1603 
1625 
1649 


shot  \  '^^^^^^^  *^®  First  bearing  a 
"I  scar  from  a  shot. 

,  ^..  (A  stiff  chair  makes  a  bad 
^^^"  \couch. 

(A  seaman  smearing  jam  on 
J^^Mhisc/^ar^. 


1685  shave  jf'^'l''  *^^    ^^«^^  ^-^   '^*"'^' 


Wm.  &  Mary  crown'd  1689  cheese  ]  ^^^^,,f'''^  '^*  '^^''''  ^'^^  ^ 

Anne  crowned  1702       jail  \p^  f^^J^^  ^^^  ^  P^^««^  ^^ 

George  I  crowned       1714      ship     Ships  all  a-jam  in  the  gorge. 
George  II  crowned     1727    chain     A  little  chain  may  be  good. 

George  III  crowned   1760       dog  ]  ^^^]^'J  ^^'y^^g  *«  ^^^^  ^  ^^-'^ 
George  IV  crowned    1820   ditch  ]|^^^,^2/  ^oofc  a  aem  out  of  a 
William  IV  crowned   1830  tooth 
Victoria  crowned        1837    door 


William    took  a    whim   to 
break  his  tooth. 


Victory  sticking  in  a  barrel 
at  the  door. 


By  reading  the  pictures  you  will  at  once  dis- 
cover the  meaning  of  the  different  words.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  picture  "To  dance  on  one  toe 


AETIFICL\L  MEMORY.  61 

is  easier  than  to  leap  a  wall.''  Here  the  peg  toe 
will  recall  dance — suggesting  Danes — and  leap  a 
luall,  which  yon  will  know  how  to  translate  into 
787,  the  date  of  their  landing.  In  picturing 
"Oxford  University  founded  886,''  you  take 
your  peg^,  which  here  happens  to  be  view,  and 
connect  with  it  the  most  appropriate  translation 
of  886  (babies,  puppies,  papers,  etc.),  as  well 
as  some  name  that  will  suggest  Oxford.  "  Vieiv 
of  hahies  riding  an  ox,"  is  the  picture  that  occur- 
red to  me.  A  judge  giving  a  little  hit  to  a  fife- 
hoy.  The  peg  judge  recalls  a  little  hit — suggest- 
ing Elizabeth,  as  pronounced  by  children — and 
fife^oy — representing  558,  which,  you  will  be 
sure  to  know,  means  1558.  An  oil-coat  got  a 
person  in  jail  once.  Jail  will  call  up  an  oil-coed, 
which  will  readily  suggest  Anne,  702 ;  an  being 
quite  sufficient  to  indicate  Anne,  the  queen, 
especially  if  your  list  for  the  occasion  is  com- 
posed of  sovereigns  only.  A  little  chain  may  be 
good.  The  first  letter  in  good  will  recall  George, 
and  the  last  indicates  his  number;  little  will 
reveal  727. 

^Tien  a  list  of  kings,  etc.,  has  to  be  learned, 
it  will  be  found  well  to  form  a  composition,  in 
which  the  commencing  letter  of  the  verbs  or 
nouns  represents  the  initial  letter  of  the  king's 
name,  thus :   William  I,   William  II,  Henry  I, 


62  AETIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

Stephen,  Henry  II,  Eicliarcl,  John,  Henry  III, 
could  be  remembered  by  ''a  Weak  Woman  Had 
Stolen  a  Hat  from  a  Kicli  Jew,  whose  Head,' 
etc. 

The  student  will  find  it  interesting,  as  well 
as  beneficial,  to  exercise  his  ingenuity  in  pre- 
paring the  pictures.  A  little  practice  gives 
readiness. 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


63 


CHAPTEK  YI. 


HOW  TO  FIND  THE  DAY  OF  THE  WEEK  ON  WHICH  ANY 
DAY  OF  THE  MONTH  FALLS,  FOR  ANY  NUMBER 
OF  YEARS,  PAST  OR  FUTURE. 

Take  an  almanac  for  any  year,  and  see  on 
wliicli  day  of  every  montli  the  first  Sunday  falls. 
Of.  the  name  of  each  month  form  a  word,  which 
from  its  sound  will  suggest  that  month,  and  let 
its  last  consonant  indicate  the  date  of  the  first 
Sunda}^ 

For  instance,  the  first  Sunday  of  January, 
1873,  falls  on  the  5th.  The  first  syllable  of  the 
word  Geneva  will  suggest  January,  while  its  last 
consonant,  '^  =  5,  indicates  the  date  of  the  first 
Sunday.     The  fin  fight  suggests  February,  and 


the  last  consonant  sound  indicates  that  the  Sun- 

day falls  on  the 

2nd.     The 

list  of  the  months 

can  be  formed  thus : 

The  first  Sunday, 

January 

5  th  ==  Geneva. 

(( 

February 

2nd  =  fight. 

cc 

March 

2nd  =:  mart. 

I  c 

April 

6th  =  apes. 

( ( 

May 

4th  =  mama. 

i  I 

June 

1st  =  judge. 

(( 

July 

6th  =  Julius. 

il 

August 

3rd  =  auger. 

64  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

The  first  Sunday,  September   7th  =  sail. 

"  Octobe'r        5th  =  octave. 

"  November    2nd  =  note. 

December    7th   =  dell. 
You  may  commit  the  names  to  memory  by 
connecting  them,  thus: 

In  Geneva  town  there  was  2i  fight  in  the  mart  be- 
tween  some    apeSj  in   which  the  maina  of 
Judge  Julius  took  a  part  with  an  auger  and 
an  old  sail,  making  them  squeal  an  octave 
note  higher,  and  return  to  their  dell. 
When  you  wish  to  know  on  what  day  of  the 
week  any  day  of  the   month  falls,  proceed  as 
follows  : 

From  the  given  day  of  the  month  substract 
the  number  indicated  by  the  last  consonant  of 
the  name  for  that  month;  from  the  rest  sub- 
tract 7,  or  a  multiple  of  7,  as  14,  21,  28;  the  re- 
mainder will  be  the  day  of  the  week — Sunday 
being  reckoned  no  day,  Monday  first  day,  Tues- 
day second  day,  "Wednesday  iJivrd  day,  Thursday 
fourth  day,  'Fvidsij fifth  day,  Saturday  sixth  day. 
You  may  wish  to  ascertain  on  what  day  of  the 
week  the  19th  of  April  falls.  The  name  for 
April  is  ajjes,  of  which  the  last  consonant  s=6. 
Take  this  6  from  the  19tli,  and  13  remain;  sub- 
tracting 7  from  this,  leaves  6  =  Saturday,  which 
is  the  sixth  day,  as  stated  above.     The  19th  of 


ARTrFICIAL  MEMOEY.  65 

April  is  therefore  a  Saturday.  Take  the  29th  of 
October.  The  name  for  October  is  octave,  the 
last  consonant  v  =  5.  Substracting  this  from 
29th,  leaves  24;  from  this  deduct  21 — the  near- 
est multiple  of  7  to  24 — and  3  will  remain,  which 
equals  Wednesday. 

When  the  date  of  the  day  required  is  smaller 
than  that  indicated  by  the  final  consonant  of  the 
name  for  the  month,  add  7,  before  commencing, 
instead  of  subtracting  it  afterwards.  Take  2nd 
May.  The  name  for  May  is  mama,  the  last  m. 
indicating  4;  as  this  cannot  be  substracted-from 
2,  you  must  first  add  7,  which  makes  9;  now  de- 
duct the  4,  and  5  is  left,  which  shows  the  2nd 
of  May  to  be  a  Friday. 

For  dates  in  1872,  up  to  February  29th,  1 
must  be  subtracted,  before  commencing  your 
calculation  as  above.  Previous  to  that  day, 
subtract  2.  For  dates  in  1871,  subtract  3.  For 
1870,  subtract  4.  For  1869,  subtract  5.  For 
1874,  add  1  before  commencing.  For  1875,  add 
2.  For  1876,  add  3,  up  to  twenty-ninth  Febru- 
ary; after  that  date,  add  4.  For  1877,  add  5. 
These  calculations  depend  upon  the  fact  that 
the  year  1873  is  taken  as  a  basis;  if  any  other 
year  is  taken,  a  different  addition  and  subtrac- 
tion for  other  years  must  be  made,  as  the  stu- 
dent will  find  on  examining  the  almanacs. 


66  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

A  shorter  mode  of  remembering  the  dates  of 
each  Sunday  throughout  the  year,  is  to  take  the 
date  of  the  first  Sunday  of  each  month,  translate 
into  letters,  and  form  a  word  for  every  three 
months.  Take  the  dates  above  given:  January 
5th,  February  2d,  March  2d=:522,  of  which  you 
can  form  fated.  April  6th,  May  4th,  June  lst= 
64:l:=zsmash.  July  6th,  August  3d,  September 
7tli=:637==sorre?.  October  5th,  November  2d, 
December  7th=527==/oo^/w^?.  Fix  these  words 
by  means  of  a  picture,  and  you  will  have  days 
and  dates  at  your  immediate  command. 

HOW  TO  REMEMBER  THE  NUMBER  OF  DAYS  IN  THE 
DIFFERENT  MONTHS. 

You  may  perhaps  have  heard  the  piece  of 
rhyme  by  which  schoolboys  keep  this  in  mind. 

Thirty  days  have  November, 
April,  June  and  September; 
February  twenty-eight  alone, 
The  rest  all  thirty-one. 

Another  mode  they  have  is  to  count  the 
knuckles.  You  commence  on  the  knuckle  of  the 
first  or  fore-finger,  and  say,  January.  Then  you 
descend  into  the  hollow  between  the  fore  and 
middle-finger,  and  say,  February;  up  on  the 
knuckle  of  the  middle-finger,  March;  down  into 
the  next  hollow,  April;  up  on  the  knuckle  of  the 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  67 

third  or  ring-finger,  May;  down  into  the  hollow 
June;  up  on  the  last  knuckle,  that  of  the  fourth 
or  little  finger,  July.  Now  return  the  way  you 
came,  commencing  on  the  last  knuckle,  and  say, 
August;  down  into  the  hollow,  September;  up 
on  the  knuckle  of  the  ring-finger,  October; 
down  into  the  hollow,  November;  and  up  on 
the  knuckle  of  the  middle-finger,  December. 
You  will  observe  that  the  months  of  31  days  all 
come  on  the  knuckles,  while  months  of  only  30 
days,  and  February,  fall  into  the  hollows. 

The  above  modes  of  remembering  the  number 
of  days  in  the  month  are  so  good,  that  you  will 
scarcely  care  for  any  mental  picturing  to  aid 
you. 

BIBLE   TEXTS. 

Indicate  the  chapter  and  verse  by  means  of 
letters,  and  connect  them  with  the  name  of  the 
book,  or  part  of  it. 

Moses  ii,  7=motley. 

Acts  V,  ll=active  judge,  etc. 

LATITUDES  AND   LONGITUDES. 

Proceed  in  the  same  manner  as  with  texts. 


68  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

STATISTICS,      ASTRONOMICAL      MAGNITUDES,      LOGA- 
RITHMS,   ETC. 

Say  that  tlie  population  of  the  United  Stated 
is  38,567,450.  Translate  this  into  ruh  off  a  slim 
fog  or  a  rope  vessel  may  have  a  hog,  and  attach  it 
to  the  subject  before  you,  or  to  a  peg.  The  ex- 
penditure for  the  year  is,  say,  $70,537,680=rt 
'law-giver  lies  hig  or  look  for  a  lazy  pig.  Logarithm 
34=1.53148,  which  can  be  rendered  into  your 
ivhim=^a  slioivfor  a  shampoo,  or  room^=^ivatch  for 
a  jump. 

CHEMISTRY. 

Translate  the  combining  properties,  or  the 
measurements,  into  words,  and  join  them  to  the 
respective  names,  or  to  pegs. 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  69 


CHAPTER  YII. 

HOW   TO   LEARN   GEOGRAPHY. 

Wlien  you  wish  to  impress  upon  your  memory 
the  outline  of  a  country,  with  its  rivers  and 
towns,  and  their  position,  etc.,  trace  on  the 
map,  or  on  a  transparent  piece  of  paper,  a  face, 
or  else  some  animal  figure  that  would  seem  to 
suit  the  appearance  of  the  country.  Then  pro- 
ceed to  indicate  the  geographical  position  in 
some  such  manner  as  the  following,  A  human 
face  is  here  supposed  to  be  drawn  upon  a  map 
of  the  world. 

On  the  centre  of  the  forehead,  yoiire  up  (Eu- 
rope.) 
Before  the  right  ear  is  t/am-aica. 
Which  makes  sick  (Mexico)  an  upper  part  of 

the  right  ear. 
The  right  eye  is  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 
Between   the   eyebrows  we   have   the   Great 

Desert,  Timbuctoo  and  the  river  Niger. 
In  the  left  eye  we  have  neiv  beer  (Nubia), 
Which  makes  a  ret/  sea  (Red  Sea) . 
The  front  part  of  the  left  ear  has  been  struck 
by    a   mad    rascal    (Madras),    leaving    a 
seal  on  (Ceylon),  just  below  it. 
Above  the  left  ear  is  the  hit  of  china  (Thibet, 
China). 


70  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

South  America  is  on  tlie  right  cheek  bone. 

A  guinea  (Guinea)  is  on  the  bridge  of  the 
nose. 

St.  Helena  is  nearly  in  the  center  of  the  face. 
Anci  so  on  to  any  extent. 

This  plan  will  not  only  serve  to  show  the  form 
of  the  country,  but  securely  fix  the  names  of 
towns,  etc.,  with  their  position.  A  boy  will 
learn  more  geography  in  an  hour  by  this  pleas- 
ant method,  than  he  would  learn  in  months 
by  the  ordinary  hard  study. 

Another  plan  is  to  form  a  striking  composi- 
tion on  the  country,  in  which  the  prominent 
places  are  referred  to  by  puns,  or  similar 
sounds,  like  this : 

ITALY. 

Italy  is  my  land  (Mailand,  Milan),  cries  the 
tourist  (Turin)  who,  endowed  with  nice 
(Nice)  genius  (Genoa),  adopts  the  lucky 
(Lucca)  mode  (Modena)  of  travelers,  passes 
through  the  land  of  the  longheardx  (Lom- 
bardy),  and  enters  the  very  nice  (Venice) 
City  of  the  Sea.  If  enthusiastic,  he  pro- 
claims Eome  as  the  type  (Tiber)  and  flower 
(Florence)  of  the  land;  if  prosaic,  he  pre- 
fers a  mess  in  (Messina)  a  sardine  (Sardinia) 
shop,  and  a  nap  (Naples)  in  the  shade  of  the 


AETIFICIAL  MEMORY.  71 

silly  (Sicily)  looking  pillars  (Palermo)  that 
are  gaped  at  by  mariners  (Marino)  afflicted 
with  liver  (Livorno)  complaint,  etc. 
If  you  wisli  to  retain  the  names  of  States  in  a 
certain  order,  take  the  first  or  most  striking  syl- 
lable in  it,  form  a  word,  and  connect  it  with  the 
pegs,  or   with  some  piece  of   poetry.      A  man 
(Maine)    stuffed   some  neio    (New   York)    moss 
(Massachusetts)  into  his  shoe  (peg).    Here  three 
States  are  connected  with  the  peg  shoe. 

GRAMMAR,    BOTANY,    NAMES,  ETC. 

Here,  again,  punning,  or  the  use  of  words  of 
a  similar  sound,  is  of  great  service.  If  you 
wish  to  recollect  the  meaning  of,  say,  equinox, 
find  some  word  of  similar  sound  to  it,  and 
identify  the  two :  equi^^equal,  nox^=^night.  We 
here  suppose  that  the  pupil  is  ignorant  of  the 
language  from  which  this  and  other  words  may 
be  derived.  Again,  seraph  (the  highest  order  of 
angels)  might  be  likened  to  giraffe  (the  highest 
animal  in  stature).  Phrenology  fmdi^  a  similarity 
in  free  knoivledge.  Nemos=neio  moss.  A  per- 
son's name  may  be  well  remembered  by  linking 
an  appropriate  word,  suggesting  his  name,  etc., 
to  some  observed  peculiarity  in  his  dress,  man- 
ner, occupation  or  appearance;  Mills  the 
banker=ia  banker  who  got  rich  by  running  flour 


72  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 

mills,  etc.     Greeley  the  journalist=the  groivling 
ivriter. 

ERRANDS,    ENGAGEMENTS,    ETC. 

Connect  the  most  suggestive  word  or  name  in 

your  list  with  the   pegs,    or  make  one  picture 

of  them. 

Get  newspaper;   order  coals;  call  on  Smith; 

post  the  letter;  buy  a  bouquet;  send  telegram; 

buy  boots;  get  watch  mended,  etc.    One  picture 

could  be  formed  thus : 

Taking  a  neiospaper  filled  with  coals  to  the 
hlixcksmith,  I  found  him  reading  a  letter  that 
had  arrived  in  a  bouquet;  this  letter  con- 
tained a  telegram  telling  him  to  buy  hoots  l^r 
all  loatch  makers  in  town. 
The  connection  with  the  memory-pegs  might 

be  made  like  this : 

Found  a  slioe  enveloped  in  a  newspaper.  My 
toe  burned  by  a  red-hot  coal.  The  hair  of 
the  blacksmith  singed.  Receiving  a  ham  by 
the  j)ost.  Vieio  of  a  stage  loaded  with  6oi( 5' ^^e/s 
set  in  ^e?e^ra?7i-paper.  Found  a  boot  filled 
with  watches  in  the  old  saiv-mW].. 

POETRY. 

You  must  take  a  clear  view  of   the  writer's 
description,  not   passing  it  over   carelessly  or 


ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY.  73 

attending  merely  to  the  sound,  but  noting  the 
ideas,  and  picturing  as  you  proceed.  You  must 
place  yourself  as  an  actor  or  spectator  of  the 
events  described.  Note  the  chief  or  commenc- 
ing word  of  each  line,  couplet  or  verse,  and 
connect  it  with  your  pegs.  Take  this  passage 
as  an  illustration : 

When  the  humid  storm-clouds  gather 
Over  all  the  starry  spheres, 
And  the  melancholy  darkness 
Gently  weeps  in  rainy  tears, 
'Tis  a  joy  to  press  the  pillow 
Of  a  cottage-chamber  bed, 
And  to  listen  to  the  patter 
Of  the  soft  rain  over  head. 

To  insure  a  recollection  of  this,  you  have  to 
imagine  yourself  an  actor  in  the  scene :  to  fancy 
that  you  actually  see  the  storm-clouds  gathering 
over  the  starry  shy  you  have  been  admiring;  that 
it,  as  a  consequence,  becomes  melancJioly  dark, 
and  rainy  tears  fall  gently  from  the  clouds;  how 
pleasant  it  now  is  to  press  the  pilloiu  in  your 
rustic  cottage-chamher  bed,  and  how  you  lie  there 
listening  to  the  ^^iiij -patter  of  that  soft  rain  over 
your  head.  As  you  proceed,  you  may  connect 
storm-cloud  with  shoe:  a  cloud  formed  like  a  shoe.- 
Tears  with  toe:  letting  hot  tears  fall  on  your 
bruised  toe.     Pilloiu  stuffed  with  hair,  etc. 


74  ARTIFICIAL  MEMORY. 


PROSE. 

Observe  the  important  and  striking  words  in 
eacli  sentence,  and  connect  them  with  the  i^egs, 
while  picturing  the  events  as  vividly  as  possible. 

LECTURE,    SERMON,    CONVERSATION,    ETC. 

Proceed  as  above,  or  make  short  notes  on  a 
piece  of  paper  of  the  chief  ideas  and  points, 
while  connecting  the  details  with  that  chief  word 
by  means  of  picturing. 

HOW  TO  LECTURE  WITHOUT  NOTES.  ^ggm^ 

Select  the  most  suggestive  words  in  each 
paragraph  or  sentence  of  your  projected  speech, 
and  connect  them  with  pegs  or  poetry.  You 
have  then  merely  to  follow  up  the  pegs  in  their 
order  to  obtain  the  matter  for  your  remarks. 
Clergymen  may  associate  a  wdiole  sermon  with 
the  w^ords  of  a  chapter  before  them,  or  wdth 
''Our  Father." 


When  you  wish  to  commit  anything  to  mem- 
ory permanently,  it  will  be  found  best  to  con- 
nect it  with  a  piece  of  poetry  or  prose  with  which 
you  are  well  acquainted,   leaving  the  memory- 


AETiriCIAL  MEMORY.  75 

pegs  free  for  subjects  that  you  wisli  to  remem- 
ber merely  for  a  short  time. 

It  would  be  beyond  the  limits  of  this  small 
book  to  enter  fully  into  the  application  of  the 
system  to  every  branch  of  science.  The  reader 
having  been  shown  how  to  remember,  with  ease 
and  certainty,  words,  ideas,  figures  and  dates, 
and  how  to  proceed  with  studies,  etc.,  will  find 
it  highly  advantageous  to  exercise  his  own  inge- 
nuity in  applying  the  method  to  any  particular 
study  or  subject  that  he  may  wish  to  master. 


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